Distance
by Lady of Termina
Summary: "Everybody else went on the meteor, and while they were growing closer, we… Drifted away from them, I suppose."


Disclaimer: I do not own _Homestuck._

* * *

In her youth, Jade Harley had been renowned for her exuberance, for her ability to love somebody without a second thought. Her quirks were many, and she always managed to bring a smile to the coldest of people, however grudging it may have been.

As a teenager nearing adulthood, however, she was more hesitant. Ever since she and her friends had won the game, a change had taken place—for all of them, really. John had become a little bit harder around the edges, Rose more brittle, and Dave—well, Dave…

Jade sighed as her trembling fingers typed in her Pesterchum handle, balancing her lunchtop precariously on her knobbly knees. The heat of the day was slowly ebbing away, the humid air making it rather hard to breathe. Her thick, dark hair was plastered to her forehead and the back of her neck with sticky sweat. Pesterchum was really the only way she could converse with the others. She spoke to John the most frequently out of the other kids, Rose maybe once or twice a week, and Dave, every once in a blue moon.

She smiled wryly to herself. _I am the Witch of Space, _she reminded herself, wincing a little at the corny joke and mentally picturing Dave at a drum set, ironically crashing the cymbals. Of course. Everything he did was ironic.

The Witch of Space grimaced and let her head fall into her hands with a small groan. She knew things would change while they were traveling to the new session—that was to be expected, they were going to be unable to communicate for three years. But when they had finally arrived to the Sburb session their ancestors had created, she had felt extremely isolated from her human friends as well as Troll friends. She knew John had noticed it, too—when he attempted to approach Rose, he faltered, one hand reaching out to her awkwardly, and finally letting it fall back to his side. He retreated, crossing his arms over his chest and pretending to look for Karkat, sneaking peeks at Rose all the while. The wounded look on his face as he watched her interact with Kanaya had said it all.

Jade hadn't paid much attention to this; she was more interested in Dave, who had grown noticeably. He was tall and lanky, his blond hair nearly white in the golden light of Rose's planet, the water streaking down his face and soaking into his hair, clumping the long blond strands together. He hadn't yet grown into his arms, but he carried himself in an overall cool manner that made one look past his awkward body. Looking cheerily at him, she had skipped forward, restraining herself from breaking into a run. She just wanted to hug everybody, but she wanted to hug Dave first. The last time she had seen him, his body had been crumpled and smeared with his own blood. He had been limp when she had taken him in her arms, his sunglasses askew. He heaved a little and then gripped her shoulder with his strong hand. She had stared down at him, terrified.

"Kiss me," he gasped, a little blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

_Not the time to think about that! _Jade chided herself, shaking the vision from her head. The important thing was that she was here, he was here, and they could finally talk without anything dangerous happening and without any important obligations to attend to.

Dave caught sight of her and the corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smirk, his posture a little slouched. "Sup, Harley?" he asked, nodding his head just barely at her.

Before she had a chance to respond, Jade saw a hand gripping Dave's arm. Looking around in confusion, she spotted a Troll girl with red glasses and a black shirt with a teal Libra sign printed on it. Looking just a bit further, she noticed a particularly surly Karkat, hands in his pockets and a dark scowl etched on his face, lurking behind the two.

And then all the pieces clicked together.

Her heart had deflated in her chest as Terezi squeezed Dave's arm and asked for an introduction, which he coolly gave her. Feeling more than a little awkward, she lingered around Terezi and Dave for awhile, trying to determine if they really were together or if she was just reading too much into it. The Troll girl was very nice, if not a bit psychotic, but Jade found herself resenting her for having Dave. It was clear that Karkat shared this resentment, shooting the Knight of Time furious looks every now and then. She tried to tell herself that Dave was not a possession, he was not hers to own, he was his own person, but every time she saw him cavorting with Terezi, something inside of her died a little.

Edging away from the others, she babbled something to John about having to go back to the Land of Frost and Frogs to check up on the frogs, vanishing not a second too soon.

* * *

One afternoon she sat alone, knees pulled up to her black God Tier pajamas, watching the snow flurries fall gently, coating the landscape in white. She didn't really want to be around anyone at the moment, and for the most part they had respected her wishes. They were all busy planning anyway, getting ready for the final showdown with Bec Noir and a new player to the game—Lord English. Over the last three years Kanaya and Rose had compiled a great deal of information on everything from the planets to the players of the game, coming up with a very basic game plan. As interested in all this as she was, Jade just wanted to be by herself so she could sort out her thoughts.

Some people just didn't accept that, though.

"Jade."

"John, I said I don't want to talk."

The packed snow on the ground crunched as her paradox brother walked towards her, the long, windsock-like hood of his pajamas fluttering in the cold wind. He stopped beside her, looking down at her with his sapphire blue eyes. He wasn't smiling, and if she had to pick an emotion, she'd say he looked depressed. She'd never seen him this way before; he always had a goofy smile on his face, especially when they were playing that god awful MMORPG he had insisted on the entire ship participating in. It was unsettling.

The two remained in silence for a few moments more, watching the white flakes drift lazily by, embedding in their hair and making the two siblings appear to have dandruff. John absently brushed a few of the snow crystals out of his black hair, but Jade just let it sit.

Presently, she said, "You were right, John."

"About what?"

"About… them growing closer to each other." John looked at her, telling her with his eyes to go on. "Everybody else went on the meteor, and while they were growing closer, we… Drifted away from them, I suppose."

John cradled his chin in his right hand, gazing out over the landscape. Jade surreptitiously looked at him, surprised by how much he had grown over the past few years as well. He had been shorter than her as a thirteen year old by an inch or two, but he now towered over her, his shoulders a bit broader, his ebony hair shaggier. His voice had gotten deeper, too, and Jade wondered if she had grown that much. Everybody had changed, but she felt like she was stuck, left behind in the past while everybody moved on with their lives. She had talked to Davesprite; he was forgotten, considered to be nothing more than a replacement Dave, really. She sighed deeply. She hadn't seen him since she had stepped off the ship. She found herself craving his company. A light pressure on her head broke her thoughts and made her look up at John, who was smiling kindly at her.

"If it makes you feel any better," he told her, "I'm really glad I got to know you better."

Wiping a few stinging tears from her eyes, she nodded a little sadly, biting down into her lower lip to keep the tears at bay as John leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, touching her hair fondly.

"Come on," he said, offering her a hand. "Let's finish this game."

* * *

The end of the game came rather swiftly after that, with the kids meeting what Rose called the "Alpha kids"—their mothers and fathers, paradox-wise. The Alphas had somehow managed to produce a barren Battlefield, and it was here that Jade moved their session, creating a viable game.

Jade sobbed brokenly and burrowed her head in Dave's neck, trying to keep from falling apart. The boy wrapped his long arms around her, holding her so closely that Jade couldn't breathe. _"_Shh," he whispered, his arms rubbing circles into her back in an effort to soothe her. "It's okay. Everything's okay now you're going to be fine."

The salty smell of blood assaulted her nostrils and Jade retched, spitting up the same crimson liquid and fighting to keep her eyes open. Dave had one hand cradling her head, the other under her body. His worried face swam into focus, his mouth open in shock and his eyes shielded by his Aviators. His nose was pouring blood, but he ignored it. "C'mon, Harley, you're too cool to go this way."

"I always thought you were the cool kid, Dave."

Dave chuckled and swiped at his bloody nose with the sleeve of his God Tier outfit, eyes locked with Jade's the entire time.

"Cooler than me," he said.

Jade awoke with a start, her legs wrapped up in her sheets. A strange sense of vertigo struck her and she lay back down as the ceiling spun, waiting it out. She fumbled around on her nightstand, searching for her glasses. There they were. Putting them on the bridge of her nose, she scrambled out of bed and, spotting the nearest mirror, tripped over to it. She was still the same Jade. Long, black hair flowing down a little past her waist, bright green eyes slightly unfocused from sleep, but—where were her ears? She patted the place on her head where they were supposed to be in vain, the white, fuzzy triangles missing. Her hands fell limply to her side.

Had it all been a dream? No, she had definitely aged. She was no longer thirteen. She was a girl of nearly seventeen, her body showing modest curves at best and the beginnings of breasts. Her face had slimmed, too, her once too big teeth seeming to almost fit in her mouth. She touched them self-consciously; they were still the same. Had her mouth grown? Turning on her heel, she examined her room. It was just like her old room on Earth. The plants had flourished, the bright pinks and purples draping over the sides of their planters, vines twined around the strings attaching them to the ceiling. There was a light layer of dust on her worktable and carpet, reminding her with a pang of the Land of Frost and Frogs. Sitting back down on her bed, she drew her knees up to her chest. Her head was spinning; it seemed like only yesterday she had been talking to John about his birthday present and the Sburb beta, and now here she was, a young woman in a room she hadn't seen in a long time. It was just too much to grasp.

A muted click from the direction of her computer told her that she had a new conversation on Pesterchum.

-ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering gardenGnostic [GG] at 10:37-

EB: jade?

GG: john?

GG: what happened? im so confused! ):

EB: i think we won the game.

Jade's fingers stilled on the keyboard. The fleeting memories from before were trickling from her mind like water through a sieve. She had vague recollections of Dave gripping her so tightly she was sure she would have bruises, the warm blood flowing from her head and matting in her soft hair. Dave yelled something incoherent, and then…

GG: john i dont remember anything about the end of the game

GG: if youre sure thats what happened

EB: you don't?

EB: are you sure?

GG: im positive! i just remember everything going dark and then i woke up here!

GG: do you remember what happened?

Jade squinted at the computer screen. John was acting more weirdly than he had been in the game, and it was taking him forever to reply. Growing frustrated, she jumped up from her bed so she could pace. She couldn't remember much of anything besides a horrid ache in her head and the voices that started out as murmurs and then grew into horrifying yells, breaking in panic. Somebody had been shaking her, but that was the last thing she remembered before she fell into the abyss.

Finally another gentle chime came from her lunchtop and she hurried over to it, only to be disappointed.

-ectoBiologist [EB] is now an idle chum!-

GG: john ):

EB: i'm not really sure myself, jade.

EB: we won the game, and i guess now… we're back on earth?

EB: i haven't seen my dad anywhere though…

GG: but john

GG: how did we win the game?

EB: well, jack noir attacked us.

GG: yeah…

EB: and you, well, somehow you… ended up getting hurt.

EB: pretty badly.

EB: dave was pretty shaken up about it.

GG: but hes not supposed to be able to hurt me!

EB: i don't think it was him, though.

EB: i'm pretty sure it was lord english. from the way everyone had described it, it had to be him.

GG: what happened?

EB: well…

EB: we were all fighting jack, and english kind of snuck up on us.

EB: i think you were closest to him, and he hit you in the head with something…

EB: there was a lot of blood.

GG: john wait

GG: stop for a second

EB: sorry.

Jade leaned away from the keyboard, feeling a little nauseous. The details of her own death were not things that she had wanted to hear, and she was almost glad she couldn't remember anything.

EB: jade are you okay?

GG: im fine its just… kind of grody!

Jade took a few steadying breaths, willing herself to be calm. She had already survived ascension to God Tier with little more than a peep; why was she so freaked out? Feeling slightly more in-control of herself, she returned to her conversation.

GG: so were noir and english working together?

EB: i'm not sure.

EB: i don't think so, because jack didn't seem to recognize him, but i think english was willing to use whatever he could to get rid of us.

GG: so theyre both gone now?

EB: yeah.

EB: i told you, we won the game.

Jade stared at the computer screen. John was nearly an adult now, she knew, but he was acting so standoffish. Granted, he had been growing quieter every year that passed on the ship, but she had never seen him this sullen.

GG: john is something wrong?

EB: have you heard from dave or rose?

GG: no…

GG: should i have?

EB: i haven't heard from them at all so far.

GG: but john weve only been back a day!

GG: im sure well hear from them soon! (:

EB: jade it's been longer than a day.

EB: it's been more like three days, really.

EB: and i haven't been able to reach either of them.

GG: john im sure theyll say something to us soon…

EB: yeah, i guess you're right.

EB: well, be careful, jade.

EB: its kind of strange here, and i don't want you to hit your head again or anything.

GG: hehe.

GG: ill look out for things thatll hurt my head!

EB: ha ha.

GG: i hope you feel better john!

EB: thanks.

EB: i'll talk to you later.

GG: okay bye john!

GG: ill tell you if i hear from either of them

EB: okay.

-ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering gardenGnostic [GG] at 11:17-

-gardenGnostic [GG] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG] at 11:19-

GG: dave?

TG: jesus harley

TG: that was one hella nasty hit you took there

TG: you okay

GG: im fine dave!

GG: how are you?

TG: oh you know me

TG: every time i fall I get back up

TG: twice as awesome as i was before

TG: shit you think id let a man with a peg leg take me down

TG: you clearly do not know the striders, harley

GG: hehe

TG: its good to hear youre okay though

TG: got kind of fucking nuts up in there

GG: from what ive heard it really did!

TG: yeah

GG: but its over now :B

TG: it is

Jade paused, the awkward feeling returning to her again. Dave wasn't necessarily being rude, he was just… distant. She wondered if this was the way he talked to everyone else.

TG: im really glad youre okay harley

TG: unironically speaking

GG: im glad youre okay too dave

TG: take care of yourself okay

TG: wouldnt want you to damage that head of yours any more

GG: you take care of yourself too dave!

TG: see you around harley

-turntechGodhead [TG] ceased pestering gardenGnostic [GG] at 11:25-

GG: dave?

* * *

Even though she knew she should be happy, she wasn't. The game had ended nearly a year ago, but her feelings for Dave were still as strong as ever. She didn't know what had been (was? Were they still talking to each other?) going on between him and Terezi, but she did know that Dave had grown colder to her ever since the kids had split up nearly four years ago. It was like a wall had been erected between the two of them, and she kept getting on her tiptoes, trying to see over it, but she was just too short.

Sitting on the rooftop of her new home, she sighed. The best time she had ever had playing Sburb, she realized, was when they had bred frogs together to create a new universe. Even if, at the end of the day, Dave's body had ended up riddled with bullet holes, it had still been amazing. He had let his guard down in a way she had never known him to, and she was thankful that she had at least gotten to see him that way once.

God, it was hot. The sun was slowly sinking across the sky, casting a crimson glow on everything. A gentle breeze tugged at her hair, pulling it to the side, offering her relief from the heat. Jade dangled her foot over the ledge, one of her lime green flip-flops loosing itself from her foot. It hung that way, clinging to her toes, and then she let it drop, watching it be swallowed by the gathering darkness below, a faint _thwack _reaching her ears as it made contact with the sidewalk. She tipped her head over the edge of the brick, watching cars whizz by and wondering…

She couldn't fly anymore. If she fell, there'd be nothing to stop her from hitting the sidewalk. Jade's fist curled into a ball. This was stupid. She couldn't go throwing herself off of buildings just because…

The paper on the ledge beside her fluttered in the wind, the corners lifting up and threatening to float away. She placed a careful hand on it, smoothing out the paper. The green ink had dried, and now all she had to do was put it in an envelope and mail it.

It was so simple. Anybody could do it.

So why couldn't she?

Tilting her head back, the bucktoothed girl watched the sunset, the paper still in her loose grip. She was afraid that, by letting go of this paper, she would forfeit all her feelings for Dave, and he would just become a person to her. A friend. A very good friend, but only a friend.

A coolkid who would never love her.

Clutching the letter to her heart, Jade resolved to let go of the letter, and someday soon, to hopefully move on. She could wait for that moment.

She waited a long time.

* * *

"_Dave-_

_I miss you._

_Even though we talk on Pesterchum, I miss Sburb… because that was the only way to see you. To truly feel you by my side._

_And I know you won't answer, but…_

_I love you, Dave._

_Sorry._

_-Jade"_

* * *

**End Note:** This is based on a very lovely drawing by xYourDearlyBeloved over on DA, which you can find hurr: http:/ xyourdearlybeloved. /art /Sitting-on-the-Rooftop- 296031864 (remove the spaces).

Okay, ugh… While this is indeed based on the picture, there are some things in here that I've been wondering about (the kids growing apart on their journey) that I added in here. It was the only way I could think of to write this. I tried to keep John as in-character as possible (writing him for some reason was super hard), but based on his views on love… I can sort of see this happening? I dunno, if anybody thinks it's a really glaring issue I can fix/ edit him out as needed.

Please review, this is my first Homestuck fic and I want to know if it was okay. xD

P.S. Go to the picture and leave comments on it. Seriously it's super pretty.


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